Third-party US Presidential candidates debate Proposition 37

Washington
-
On Monday November 5, the final third-party candidate debate was held. In a final question, Jill Stein of the Green Party and Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party were asked about their stance on Proposition 37 for the labeling of GMOs.

The final, one-minute response question for the candidates was, "The European Union imposed mandatory food labeling in 1997 for genetically modified foods. Do you support Proposition 37 in California and as president, would you push for federal legislation requiring the labeling of GMO foods?"

Dr Jill Stein of the Green Party said, "It is our right to know what we are eating, especially when that so-called food involves highly experimental and inadequately tested technology."

Jill Stein is presidential nominee for the U.S. Green Party

Green Party

"So as a very preliminary step, we must have labeling of genetically engineered food products, and I would definitely advance that legislation at the national level, but I would actually go beyond that."

"As a physician and a public advocate who has spent years studying and advocating for a safe environment that is consistent with human health, I would actually call for a moratorium on genetically engineered food until it has been established as safe, because once this technology is out of the bag, and this is already happening, you can't call it back."

"There are some real warning signs right now in the scientific literature. We need to put it on hold until we understand what is going on."

Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party's Jill Stein.

Video screen capture

Governor Gary Johnson of the Libertarian party said, "I think that one of government's fundamental responsibilities can be to educate, and by educate, the notion that we should mandate labeling. We should mandate what ingredients there are in food."

"I have celiac disease, I can't consume gluten. It makes me sick, it's poison. So I would not be able to function if it weren't for food labeling. It is very, very important to me."

"So consumers make their choices, but they make their choices based on having all the information that they want. Genetically modified foods should be labeled as such."

The full debate and closing statements can be viewed here. More information about Proposition 37 and the Ca Right to Know campaign can be viewed here.

Anyone wishing to keep track of the votes for Proposition 37 can do so here.